Anger Free DadEsimerkki

Receive the Gift of Forgiveness

Every father sets out to earn the right to wear the “World’s Greatest Dad” T-shirt. We love our kids and will do what we can to make them happy. Consider the dad who wants to do that for his own son. Christmas is coming, and he’d love to gift a bicycle to his son. Money’s tight though—real tight—but this father is undeterred. He works overtime. He cuts back on some of his own expenses. He even sells a couple of items he’s held on to for sentimental reasons. Why? He doesn’t want to just give his son a bike; he wants to give him a top-of-the-line bike.

And he does. Christmas comes, and this father is thrilled as his son opens all his presents. Then he rolls out the bike with a big bow. The son looks at the bike, tosses out a perfunctory “Thanks, Dad,” and turns his attention to playing with all the cardboard boxes. Days pass, then months, and the bike stands untouched in the garage. It still has the bow.

It’s hard to imagine any kid ignoring the freedom and exhilaration that comes with owning a bike, but a lot of us ignore an even greater gift: forgiveness. God paid a huge price, giving His most prized possession, His Son, to die in our place. With that death, the penalty of our sins was dealt with, and forgiveness is offered to us. Forgiveness is ours when we trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Forgiveness is truly a gift—it’s not earned through your efforts—and it’s just waiting for you to unwrap it! God won’t unwrap it for you; it’s up to you to choose to accept and embrace His forgiveness or ignore it.

Anger often arises out of our own sense of unforgiveness. We feel the guilt of our sin. We feel the frustration of living under the burden of our own sin, and that can trigger a lot of anger. Even if it’s self-directed anger—angry at ourselves for our sins and mistakes—that too quickly boils over into anger toward others. But when we see ourselves as forgiven in Christ, we can forgive the offenses of others and not let anger rise in our hearts.

Want to live as a dad free from anger? Start by unwrapping God's gift of salvation and receive His forgiveness. With His forgiveness in your life, let that forgiveness overflow out of your life into the lives of others. A forgiven and forgiving heart has no room for anger.

Thank God for the grace of saving you. Thank Him for His forgiveness.